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How do resorts measure their reported snow depths?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Leading on from another thread about supposedly misleading reports on snow depth, I started wandering how resorts actually measure this. That is, assuming they do not just make up the numbers.

I would do it by placing a snow depth gauge in a fenced off flat area somewhere in almost permanent shade. It should be sheltered but not too prone to drifting (don't want to be accused of 'cheating')

Doing it this way, the gauge may show, say 30cm snow depth, which can then be reported. Of course, on a nearby piste which has been bashed repeatedly, gone through numerous freeze/thaw cycles and skied over by thousands, the reported 30cms actually means a 5cm skin of boilerplate base, which pretty much accords with my experience.

Am I close to the mark here?

Edit. I neid to kno how too spel.


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 20-04-11 11:40; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I'm sure the answer is "it depends". When I was in Scheffau some years ago, the TO rep went to our hotel reception, exchanged a few words and then plucked an optimistic figure out of thin air. I have been a confirmed sceptic of reported snow depths ever since.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
it is a sliding scale, depending upon the stupidity of their visitors.......
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I think this is the measuring stick for La Plagne. Out of shot is a weather station complete with funnel thing that maybe for measuring snow fall.
For those that know the resort this is by the SAP offices near The France building.
NB. For Dr Johns, benefit, please note this is an old photo from a previous season.
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Boredsurfing, Thanks. Looks as though I was right then.
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Spud9, You are forgetting this is snowheads and your post count is below 10000, so.......... Toofy Grin
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
So they don't employ Eddie Waring and his dipstick then?
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Guvnor wrote:
it is a sliding scale, depending upon the stupidity of their visitors.......
correct.

Depth is irrelevant without knowing what's underneath it.

Saw an Austrian resort's "dipstick" in the untouched snow underneath a chairlift. It was showing over double what the actual depth was.

All I know is that the best conditions will be found on the upper slopes... a bloke in a blue jacket told me that.
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Bode Swiller, How do you know? Was there another pole measuring the actual depth? wink
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Boredsurfing wrote:
Spud9, You are forgetting this is snowheads and your post count is below 10000, so.......... Toofy Grin


I am indeed a worm. Sad
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Boredsurfing,

That's a pretty poor site, close to a building.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Wherever the most sheltered spot with favourable windloading is. Then encourage groomer drivers to shovel a bit of surplus on it. Then add 50% in case you've mismeasured. General rule if a resort can't even be arsed to lie to get it above 1m it'll be pretty bad.

Cumulative snowfall for the season is not a bad measure - with compaction, grooming and wear n tear someone can probably tell you what the compaction ratio between the 2 should be to see if the resort is lying.
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Chamcham wrote:
Bode Swiller, How do you know? Was there another pole measuring the actual depth? wink
No, I think he was East German.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quoted depths do generally go down as snow naturally compacts or melts so total snowfall is not what is measured.

The Ski Club of GB simply uses the resort's official measurements.

The one place I have been where the depths quoted seemed to me to be actually less than what I experienced was Arabba
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Boredsurfing wrote:
Spud9, You are forgetting this is snowheads and your post count is below 10000, so.......... Toofy Grin


Damn, looks like I've still got a few years to go then Sad
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Boredsurfing wrote:
Quote:

Spud9, You are forgetting this is snowheads and your post count is below 10000, so..........


how true Laughing Laughing Laughing
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Bode Swiller wrote:
Chamcham wrote:
Bode Swiller, How do you know? Was there another pole measuring the actual depth? wink
No, I think he was East German.


Are you sure - I thought he was just a Czech Wink
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
This is how the Canadian resorts report snow depth and snow fall

"Our 12 hour, 24 hour, 48 hour, 7 day snow fall, and alpine snow base are reported daily during the winter season at 5:30am. The snow base at mid mountain, temperatures, and wind speed data are all updated via our telemetry system every two minutes. This data is then converted at a central server, and automatically uploaded to the web every fifteen minutes.

Snow bases are reported from both the mid mountain area and the alpine area to provide an accurate snap shot of resort conditions. The mid mountain snow base is reported from our snow plot just above the top of the Sunburst Chair at 1855m/6086', and has been recording statistics since 1972. At this site we have a typical data plot with storm boards, twenty four hour boards, a height of snow stake, and thermometers. We also have an automatic plot at this site that has an ultrasonic snow depth device, temperature probe, and relative humidity probe. Our second snow plot is located in the alpine at the top of one of the Chair lifts at 2061m/6762’ in a sheltered area. The height of snow at the alpine base is a traditional data plot, and information is taken manually by Ski Patrol.

As mentioned previously, the height of mid mountain snow that we report on our website is recorded with our ultrasonic probe. This measurement is taken at the mid mountain snow plot. This device is a scanning system that is calibrated to the ground and reads the snow as it falls to the ground. Snow base information is then sent to our website for automatic updates. The idea of this automatic weather data page was to have data untouched by human hands, and definitely not massaged to increase the snow fall measurement.

Temperature and wind speed data come from sensors located on all the major lifts throughout the resort."
They send emails every day,they have stopped now but i still look on the web site at the cameras its sad looking at all the snow still on the ground and the resorts shut!






Sad
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skypower123, do they also do a product for testing the 'porkyness' of tinned products?
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Last week in VT the Tea Club report said there was 62cm on the lower slopes.

As you can see from Priceyboy's leg........
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